The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate change in our lives that involves movement into uncharted territory.
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| liminal space |
The reading from the Acts of the Apostles has Peter impetuously address the crowds about Jesus on Pentecost.
* [2:14–36] The first of six discourses in Acts (along with Acts 3:12–26; 4:8–12; 5:29–32; 10:34–43; 13:16–41) dealing with the resurrection of Jesus and its messianic import. Five of these are attributed to Peter, the final one to Paul. Modern scholars term these discourses in Acts the “kerygma,” the Greek word for proclamation (cf. 1 Cor 15:11).1
Psalm 16 is a song of trust and security in God.
* [Psalm 16] In the first section, the psalmist rejects the futile worship of false gods (Ps 16:2–5), preferring Israel’s God (Ps 16:1), the giver of the land (Ps 16:6). The second section reflects on the wise and life-giving presence of God (Ps 16:7–11).2
The reading from the First Letter of Peter cites reverence as our response to the truth that through Him we have come to trust in God, and our faith and hope are set on God.
* [1:19] Christians have received the redemption prophesied by Isaiah (Is 52:3), through the blood (Jewish symbol of life) of the spotless lamb (Is 53:7, 10; Jn 1:29; Rom 3:24–25; cf. 1 Cor 6:20).3
The Gospel of Luke describes the change in life that the two disciples experienced on the Walk to Emmaus.
* [24:16] A consistent feature of the resurrection stories is that the risen Jesus was different and initially unrecognizable (Lk 24:37; Mk 16:12; Jn 20:14; 21:4).4
Eileen Wirth reflects on The Body of Christ. It includes all of us – young, old, women, men, all races, ethnicities and economic levels. One of her favorite St. Louis Jesuit hymns, “One Bread, One Body,” says, “we are one body in this one Lord.” She has felt this affiliation in magnificent cathedrals and humble country churches, with her beloved St. John’s community and in foreign churches where she didn’t understand the local language. But the sacrament united us… So, what does this all mean at this strange, hard time?
In Luke’s account, the two disciples were feeling bereft at the loss of Jesus but after they recognized him through the breaking of the bread, they realized he was still with them. That’s true today. Jesus has not abandoned us. He’s present in his living Body to help us cope with our hardships.
May this time of separation from receiving the Eucharist increase our love of the sacrament and the communities in which we receive it. May we remember that this Body knows no borders and that at the end of every Eucharistic celebration we are admonished to “go forth to love and serve the world and one another.”
It’s up to us to bring our identity with the Body of Christ to life and not to leave it at the church door – that is when we can finally return to entering those doors!5
Don Schwager comments that Jesus chided the disciples on the road to Emmaus for their slowness of heart to believe what the Scriptures had said concerning the Messiah. They did not recognize the risen Jesus until he had broken bread with them. Do you recognize the Lord in his word and in the breaking of the bread? St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) reflects on the dimness of their perception:
"They were so disturbed when they saw him hanging on the cross that they forgot his teaching, did not look for his resurrection, and failed to keep his promises in mind" (Sermon 235.1)."Their eyes were obstructed, that they should not recognize him until the breaking of the bread. And thus, in accordance with the state of their minds, which was still ignorant of the truth - that the Christ would die and rise again, their eyes were similarly hindered. It was not that the truth himself was misleading them, but rather that they were themselves unable to perceive the truth." (From The Harmony of the Gospels, 3.25.72)6
The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 2:14, 22-33 asks “Have you ever heard the word kerygma?” It’s a Greek word that means “the proclamation.” The Church uses this word to describe the core message that Peter and the apostles preached after Jesus’ resurrection. Today’s first reading—from Peter’s Pentecost sermon—is one clear example of the Church’s kerygma, the key events that are at the heart of our faith:
This kerygma is not just a set of truths to be believed. It’s the story of our redemption. It’s a series of promises that we can experience: Physical and spiritual healing. Forgiveness. Eternal life. The Holy Spirit.
This is your heritage. This is everything Jesus died to secure for you. This is how much he loves you and treasures you.7
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the very Jewish flavour in the “first message” or kerygma of the impetuous Peter. The “happy fault” of Thomas Aquinas is balanced by the understanding of John Duns Scotus that Jesus Incarnation is the desire of God to be part of humanity. Friar Jude connects the Road to Emmaus to our recognition of Jesus, today, in Word and Sacrament.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, explains liminal space is an inner state and sometimes an outer situation where we can begin to think and act in new ways. It is where we are “betwixt and between,” having left one room or stage of life but not yet entered the next. We usually enter liminal space when our former way of being is challenged or changed—perhaps when we lose a job or a loved one, during illness, at the birth of a child, or a major relocation. It is a graced time, but often does not feel “graced” in any way. In such space, we are not certain or in control. This global pandemic we now face is an example of an immense, collective liminal space.
It’s no surprise then that we generally avoid liminal space. Much of the work of authentic spirituality and human development is to get people into liminal space and to keep them there long enough that they can learn something essential and new. Many spiritual giants like St. Francis, Julian of Norwich, Dorothy Day, and Mohandas Gandhi tried to live their entire lives in permanent liminality, on the edge or periphery of the dominant culture. This in-between place is free of illusions and false payoffs. It invites us to discover and live from broader perspectives and with much deeper seeing.
In liminal space we sometimes need to not-do and not-perform according to our usual successful patterns. We actually need to fail abruptly and deliberately falter to understand other dimensions of life. We need to be silent instead of speaking, experience emptiness instead of fullness, anonymity instead of persona, and pennilessness instead of plenty. In liminal space, we descend and intentionally do not come back out or up immediately. It takes time but this experience can help us reenter the world with freedom and new, creative approaches to life.8
The “graced time” of our movement into uncharted territory as members of the Body Of Christ prepares us for greater reverent service with Jesus.
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